Hunting spokesman arrested for assault

HSA news release 7th October 1995

Barely six weeks into the new cubhunting season, saboteurs across the country are again under attack from hunt thugs.

In a morning of violence, balaclava-clad thugs at the Crawley and Horsham Foxhunt in Sussex smashed a saboteur van's windscreen. Meanwhile at the Cattistock Foxhunt in Somerset, Alistair Jackson, the southeast region press spokesman of the British Field Sports Society (BFSS), was arrested after punching a saboteur to the ground.

Jackson, a leading figure in the hunting world, is a former master of the Cattistock Foxhunt, and is now one of the BFSS' leading PR reps. Saboteurs from Dorset attended this morning's meet to try and save young foxcubs who are used by foxhunts at this time of year to train their new hounds to kill. Witnesses to this morning's incident say Jackson was taking photographs of saboteurs. The saboteurs held their hands over their faces, understandably nervous given recent attacks on anti-hunt activists and their homes outside the hunting field. Jackson demanded they show their faces so he could continue taking their photographs and when they refused, lashed out, punching a Southampton man to the ground. The sab suffered severe bruising around his eye and Jackson was immediately arrested by a police officer who witnessed the attack. He was taken to Yeovil police station where he is currently being questioned by officers investigating the attack.

Ironically, Jackson spends most of his time in his capacity as a BFSS spokesman slandering anti-hunt activists as violent thugs. News organizations are warned that the BFSS may not as yet be able to provide comment on this incident as their southeast region rep is at the moment in a police cell. However, journalists wishing to call Yeovil police property desk can probably do so on Jackson's mobile number: (01308) 842 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (01308) 842 end_of_the_skype_highlighting 685

One of the unfortunate side-effects for the BFSS of Jackson's arrest is that they will also have no-one available to comment on the disgraceful scenes at the Crawley & Horsham Foxhunt in Sussex. Saboteurs were confronted by over a dozen thugs in balaclavas wielding a variety of weapons when they arrived at this morning's cubhunting meet at Shipley, Sussex. At about 8.30, one of the hunt thugs, balaclava pulled tight down over his face, attacked the Brighton saboteurs' van with a two-foot log, smashing the windscreen.

Unfortunately, it appears that the thugs are back in the hunting field and the hunt hierarchy are not lifting a finger to stop them.